An attitude-changing performance

What did the school do?

Activities

At the start of the project, pupils were told that they were going to use work from PSHE for music and drama, and that this would develop their understanding across all three areas.

In PSHE, pupils discussed the effects of drug-taking and looked at materials that highlighted the potential dangers of drug use. They talked about why people might take drugs inappropriately and how it can be hard to resist peer pressure. They were asked to identify ways of resisting peer pressure and helping others.

In music lessons, the pupils:

• listened to and evaluated a variety of hip-hop and rap artists' work, and looked at rap in a historical context;
• were shown how to create a chord sequence, taking into consideration factors such as how tonality affects mood (major and minor);
• learned the importance of hook lines to maintain interest in a song;
• wrote and structured lyrics, using rhyme beyond basic couplets to affect the rhythm dynamics of the whole piece;
• used software such as Cubase VST, Hip Hop Ejay and Micrologic AV to give their performance a professional quality;
• were 'mentored' by year 11 DJs and MCs in the use of mixing decks and rapping.

In drama, a forum theatre was used to draw out the social implications of the anti-drugs theme. This gave the pupils an opportunity to contribute dramatic ideas to the ensemble in a non-threatening way, especially if they felt unable to act themselves. The pupils read a scripted play, Bright Lights, which gave them experience in dramatic dialogue and the use of story-telling as a means to expand their knowledge of dramatic conventions. They then went on to write a diary or monologue, using 'conscience circle' and 'still image' to highlight inner thoughts and specific moments. They also learned how to use episodic scenarios to give dramatic structure to their storylines.

Teaching strategies

The key approaches used by the teachers were:

• working towards a final performance to an 'outside' audience, to give the work direction and purpose;
• encouraging pupils to work with and learn from each other -- groups were carefully chosen so that each group member had something to offer;
• making the work relevant to the pupils;
• giving pupils an opportunity to work closely with an 'expert' (the teacher artist);
• recognising and developing pupils' own interests and strengths;
• letting pupils use different learning styles, eg practical experimentation;
• providing a different context for learning, to break negative cycles;
• using older pupils as mentors.

To encourage the pupils to take ownership of the work, the school ensured that there were plenty of opportunities for them to make decisions. This made them feel important and showed them that they had something to contribute. The school also encouraged them to establish their own criteria for success, so they were clear about exactly what they were trying to achieve.

Before asking the pupils to perform to an audience, the school ensured they had learned sufficient skills and were confident that they could succeed.

Use of time and resources

The project took 14 weeks to complete and the school organised lessons to cause as little disruption to the timetable as possible. For the first 12 weeks, the pupils spent one lesson (55 minutes) on each subject, in line with the normal timetable. Towards the end of the project, more directed time was needed to ensure the pupils were secure in their performance. There were two days of dedicated subject rehearsal, with every group in both subjects having 55 minutes of intensive rehearsal time.

In addition, voluntary rehearsals were offered on Friday afternoons (after school). Attendance fluctuated, but gained momentum as the project progressed. All rehearsals took place in the music and drama rooms, theatre-in-round and on the school stage.

Three subject-specific staff (music, drama and PSHE) were involved in the project and they formed a strong partnership through planning, meetings, reflection and evaluation. The subjects lent themselves to collaborative work and the school felt that bringing together the anti-drugs topic with music and drama would challenge and engage the pupils.